Rocky Patel’s 1961 is the first cigar produced at the new Tabacalera Villa Cuba in Esteli, Nicaragua. The Toro was released at last year’s IPCPR show in New Orleans. It features an Ecuadorian-grown Habano wrapper; a Honduran binder; and a Nicaraguan filler. It comes in four vitolas: a 5.5 in x 44 Corona; 5 x 50 Robusto; 6.13 x 52 Torpedo; and today’s featured cigar, a 6.5 x 52 Toro.

Appearance : The cigar features a triple cap and a dark chocolate wrapper. There are some veins visible. Although it is smooth to the touch, it does not show any shine and it is dull in appearance. The wrapper had very earthy scents: barnyard and hay were noticeable. The foot had a grass smell with a hint of citrus aroma.

It is firm to the touch and it does not show any soft spots. It definitely feels like it is well packed with tobacco.

The cigar features two bands: a large black band that shows a barely visible copper-colored design with a very large “1961” at the front of the band. The second band is smaller and it features the characteristic “RP” trademark. It also has “Rocky Patel” written all over the red-colored band.

Construction : The cigar is well constructed, and it packs lots of tobacco in the filler.

The bands were easily removed from the cigar. It felt very nicely in my hand and was very comfortable during the smoke.

The burn was a bit uneven at the beginning of the smoke. Putting the cigar down in the ashtray for a few minutes fixed the burn problem.

Flavor : The RP 1961 was cut using a Boston Cigar Company Little Guy V cutter. The initial pre-light draw featured a citrusy taste.

Upon lighting the stick with a Davidoff cigar match, woody notes with a sweet character were immediately present. As the midpoint of the cigar was reached, the sweet character disappeared and cedar notes became more prevalent.

The cigar started out with medium strength, and towards the second half, it became stronger and full in flavor. Likewise, the finish was short at the beginning, and it got longer as the smoke went along.

Value : This is a very pleasant, well balanced smoke. This is well worth the investment per stick. It is, in my opinion, a good price for a Toro, and you definitely get your money’s worth.

Overall Rating : This can be considered one of Rocky’s best releases. There are really no major issues with the cigar, and it is priced appropriately. The cigar did have a slight nicotine kick towards the end. The kick was not overwhelming and easily managed. This is definitely one cigar that I will purchase again.

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This post was written by Ed. Click here for his latest articles and more information.